God's Timing For Your Life (Part I)

I was reading this book 'God's Timing for Your Life' by Dutch Sheets and felt very ministered by it. Hence I would like to share the highlights of this book. The purpose is to help you understand and recognise the divine shifts in your life - moments when God changes the times and seasons. The following verses in Isaiah speak of God's change into new seasons:

• You have heard: see all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them. (Isa 48:6)
 
• Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isa 43:19)
 
• Behold, the former things have come to pass and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them. (Isa 42:9)

The author then explains the different New Testament words for time, chronos and kairos. The word chronos refers to the general process of time or chronological time. The word kairos refer to the right time or opportune time or strategic time, the now time. Kairos, in many ways, is an extension of the chronos. As the processes of God's plan unfold, chronos becomes kairos.

I shall attempt to describe the features of the chronos season here. In my next two blog posts, I will then touch on the features of God's divine shift and kairos season.

Characteristics of chronos:

• A season of our life which tends to be largely routine or mundane, where you do not feel anything exciting happening. It may even be tedious - a time of plowing, standing, believing and persistent praying.
• A time of transition when God is training us, preparing us and renewing our minds (Rom 12:2) for our future assignments. Often the insight we receive in the chronos season is actually meant to help us in the future stages God is bringing us to.
• A time of stretching as we progress with God, moving forward as He trusts us with more responsibilities. The faith He requires from us today is not the same as yesterday.
• Confusion during transition times is normal. You cannot revert to the comfort of things before yet you do not know what is ahead. During such times, it is the basics of God's word that keep us going - God's faithfulness in fulfilling our past promises, God's great love for us etc. These will give us comfort, direction and something to anchor.